One of the most popular Native American jewelry styles is what is known as inlay jewelry. This style was first mastered by the Zuni. For the artist, inlay provides freedom to craft their own designs using traditional symbols and motifs.
Inlay jewelry uses stones which are cut and shaped to fit the form of the artist’s design. Intricate patterns and varied sizes and colors of the pieces add to the resulting beauty of the item. Some artists use silver interlaced with the stones to create geometric designs in their pieces. Once finished, the stones are sanded to be even with the metal. Epoxy is used to create a smooth surface.
Gold channel inlay style featuring turquoise, lapis, and wood
